Barbed fence material



(No-Model.) I

W. S. BATE.

BARBED' FENCE MATERIAL.

No. 273,245. v Patented Mar.6, 1883.

n4 PETERS, FhulwLhhog-npber. wmm m. o. c.

wire, as hereinafter particularly set forth.

UNITED STATES PATENT Qrrrcn.

WILLIAM S. BATE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BARBED FENCE MATERIAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,245, dated March 6, 1883.

Application filed October 31, 1882. (No model.) 4'

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM S. BATE, of Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvementin Barbed Fence Material, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is aspecification,like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to that class of barbed fence material which is composed of a wire having a strip or ribbon of sheet metal wound about it, the edge of the strip being cut to produce prongs.

1n the class of fence material referred to it is common to provide one or both edges of a thin sheet-metal strip with a series of parallel incisions cut diagonally into the said strip, to thus form a series of parallel side barbs, which, when the strip is wound about the wire, will extend outwardly and present sharp points. Each parallel side barb of a metal strip such as referred to, when thrown out by winding the strip upon the wire, will project as a hookshaped barb, or a barb the edges of which project in the same direction; but such a barb is very objectionable for two reasons: first, because cattle rubbing against the fencematerial in the direction of the inclination of the barbs are not pricked by the barbs, as they should be in order to cause the cattle to leave the fence; and, secondly, because when cattle rub against the fence material in a direction opposite the inclination of the barbs the latter enter the flesh deeply, as a hook, and, owing to the acute-angled inner edge of the barb, cause the flesh to be badly torn, often seriously injuring the cattle when it is only desired to prick them.

My invention has for its object the avoidance of this objection; and it consists in fencin g material composed of a wire core around which is spirally wound a sheet-metal strip having barbs or prongs on one edge only, the edges of saidbarbs being opposite angles of the same degree and standing off from the In practicing my invention I take thin sheet metal wide enough to form two strips of fence material, and sever it centrally and longitudi- 5o nally with a zigzag out, thus forming two strips, each of which has aseries of prongs having but two edges, and in which the two edges are not parallel, but are inclined each with relation to the other, as will be described. In the formation of pronged strips in this way the prongs for two strips will be formed'by one cutter at one operation and handling, and without waste of stock, and when the pronged strips are wound about the central wire or core the said prongs thrown out from the strip point directly away from the center of the wire, rather than toward one end of it, and the two edges of each of the said prongs, commencing 'at the point, incline toward the wire and the base of the prong in opposite directions, thus forming a prong with its edges so inclined that. cattle rubbing against the fence in either direction will be pricked but the prongs, ow,- ing to the inclination of their sides from their points backward-one to the right and the other to the leftare made to present two edges, which will not allow the prongs to hook into the flesh as the cattle move in either direction incontact with the fence, thus obviating tearing of the flesh.

Figure 1 represents a metal strip the main part of which is shown as severed longitudinally in accordance with my method. Fig. 2 represents fence material embodying my invention, it showing a central wire with one of my barbed strips nearly wound thereon. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of Fig. 2, and Fig. 4 rep resents a form of fence-stock now used.

Referring first to Fig. 4, which represents the particular kind of barbed fencing it is the special object of myinvention to improve, it

prongs commencing nearest the wire center incline toward the left. Should cattle rub along the fence in the direction of the arrow near Fig. 4., the prongs will enter or hookinto the flesh deeply, and tear and injure the flesh but it cattle rub along the fence in the opposite direction the prongs have but little, if any, effect.

To produce my improved fence material I take a broad strip, a, of thin sheet metal, and sever it longitudinally along the zigzag line shown in Fig. l,forming two separate toothed strips, 1), having prongs or portions 0, prowill be seen that the two edges 2 3 of the vided with edges 4 5, shaped and located each with relation to the other, as shown clearly in Fig. 2. The strip I) is wound spirally about the central wire or core,d, as shown in Fig. 2, and as it is wound the edges 4 5 of the prongs or portions 0 assume the inclined positions shown in the drawings, Fig. 2, so that the said prongs will not enter and hang in the flesh, as will prongs of the shape shown in Fig. 4, but will merely scratch or prick the cattle. As the edges of the prongs or portions a, shaped as shown in Fig. 2, will not tear the flesh, I shall designate them as prongs having nontearing edges.

I claim- The fencing material herein shown and de- WILLIAM S. BATE.

Witnesses:

G. W. GREGORY, B. J. NoYEs.

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